The Gatepost Editorial: The invites are out. It’s on you to show up.

By The Gatepost Editorial Board

The odds are, you’ve heard it before:

“This campus is so boring.”

“I never know what’s going on.”

“There’s nothing to do here!”

The sentiment of these statements has been heard time and time again by members of The Gatepost Editorial Board. Students often express how our campus is too quiet and too dull to have any fun, or even consider staying at their residence halls over the weekend. 

We disagree. 

From Drag BINGO to Diversity Dialogues, there are a myriad of activities and events across campus that serve the wide-ranging interests of our community, and almost all of them are advertised in weekly or monthly Campus Currents and Arts & Ideas emails, and on RamLink, which can be accessed via the SharePoint website. 

The options are incredibly accessible to all of us and it is the work of many people on campus, including resident assistants, student organization members, and The Center for Student Experience (EXP), to put together events that might interest resident and commuter students alike. 

Resident assistants are contracted to put on a certain number of events per semester. They order food and supplies, create flyers, and take time during the week and even weekends to put on events. In many cases, very few or no residents show up.

Attendance at even the most popular events, such as BINGOs hosted by Framingham State Activities Board (FSAB), is declining. Just last week, Jujubee, a popular former finalist on Ru Paul’s Drag Race performed at Drag BINGO and students walked out in the middle of her final song after they realized all the prizes had been awarded. 

Not only is this rude to the performer, it’s disheartening for FSAB members to watch students walk out of an event they booked a performer for after expensive prizes are handed out. 

Events like these are meant to be fun, engaging, and an opportunity to have a new experience with friends and peers you might only see in more academic settings. While prizes are certainly fun, they should not be the main point of why students are briefly attending these events. 

What is the catalyst for our lack of involvement? 

Are students worried about being judged, embarrassed, or thought of as “losers” at public events?

Is it truly just that students are too busy with academics, jobs, and maintaining relationships?

The fact of the matter is, the complaints are there. What would it take to engage students in extracurricular activities, learning series, and the many events with wonderful speakers invited to campus?

Events such as career fairs or events with prizes are highly attended because there are measurable benefits to going. Other events with no perceived payout might be more difficult for students to justify stepping away from homework or just relaxing in the residence halls to attend. 

One of the best and most important aspects of the Framingham State experience is these events are free and offer students the opportunity to expand their ideas and perspectives and learn something new. Not only is that incredibly valuable experience in your early 20s, but the chance to critically engage with peers, professionals, and faculty at these events can lead to future connections and inspiration for academic work and careers. 

Low-stakes events such as paint nights, wellness walks, and gatherings put on by RAs are held so students can step away from the stress of academics and relax with peers who are experiencing those same strains and connect with each other.

We also have an incredible group of student athletes who represent us at home on a weekly basis in the Logan Gymnasium in Dwight Hall, the Maple Street Fields, Bowditch Field, and Loring Arena. All of these venues range from a 2-minute walk to 5-minute drive from campus. If you’re looking for something to do, check the schedule on fsurams.com, grab your roommates, friends, or classmates and support our Rams. 

The more students attend events and speak up about what they want to see and do on campus, our community will become more engaged and even closer than before. 

We can use our small campus and tight-knit faculty and staff to our advantage. Faculty, staff, and student organizations want to hear from us. They want to know what will engage us. 

But it’s on us to speak up. 

Let’s turn complaints into action and transform this campus into a hub of involvement.